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Automotive Week in Review: January 31st, 2014

This week’s review includes the automotive advertising blitz and a halt on some Toyota vehicles due to fire issues.

Also, we had an auto industry boss at a major political event while a top political figure attended an important automotive convention.

This Week’s Top Stories

Hillary Visits NADA Convention: Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a keynote speaker at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention and Expo in New Orleans. Clinton praised dealers as a “critical” part of the national economic recovery.

Mary Barra Guest at State of the Union Address: At another event in Washington D.C., Mary Barra, the newly appointed CEO of General Motors, was a guest of the president at this week’s State of the Union Address. President Obama praised the automotive industry for innovative efforts and talked about the need for more fuel-efficiency.

Volvo Increasing Ad Budget with New Agency: The struggling Volvo brand is boosting its ad budget by 50% and hiring a new ad agency after months of sliding sales in a growing automotive sector. Dealers have pressured Volvo to move towards positive messages that promote product features as opposed to previous ad campaigns that mocked owners of German luxury rivals.

Auto Ad Blitz Coming: Expect an all-out blitz of automotive commercials for this year’s Super Bowl. Out of the $292 million spent during the big game last year, automakers contributed $96 million, the largest portion, with the beverage industry coming in 2nd place at $68 million.

Fire Potential Prompts Toyota to Stop Sales: Toyota has told U.S. dealers to stop selling 8 vehicle models with heated cloth seats that might catch on fire. According to Automotive News, the stop-order covers 36,000 Toyota vehicles that are already in stock, plus more that may be in transit. 2013 and 2014 models of the Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Sienna, Tundra, and Tacoma are affected.

Analysts Predict 15.9 Million Units in 2014: U.S. auto sales are expected to rise to nearly 16 million units in 2014. January sales are already up from last year, promoting a positive attitude in the industry and prompting LMC Automotive to forecast the best January in a decade.

2014 Chevy SS Heading to Cedar Rapids: Pat McGrath Chevyland in Cedar Rapids is awaiting the arrival of the 2014 Chevy SS, a powerful rear-wheel drive performance sedan. The incoming Chevy SS has Phantom Black paint and a Jet Black interior, along with other luxury and performance features. Learn more here

2015 Kia Sedona to Debut in New York: Although Kia hasn’t made any official announcements, reports are swirling that Kia will unveil the 2015 Sedona, a fully-redesigned minivan, at the New York Auto Show in April. The vehicle is expected to hold more safety and comfort features and sport design cues from a popular Kia concept. Learn more here

“Altitude” Jeeps Coming to Entire Lineup: Jeep is adding the popular “Altitude” trim package to the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler. The Altitude edition, which adds a unique blacked-out exterior trim, aggressive design cues, and custom interior appointments, is already found in the Compass and Patriot. Learn more here